893.512/432: Telegram
The Chargé in China (Mayer) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 30—10:12 a.m.]
520 bis. [Paraphrase.] Legation’s 518, October 28.
1. I transmit following from American consul at Cantoitem:
“October 28th, noon. At a meeting of consular body held yesterday the consuls of Great Britain, Japan, France and other powers were in favor of making a vigorous joint protest immediately against regulations providing for organization of the new examining corps. I made a suggestion that such an emphatic protest be deferred until the corps had begun to function and infringements of treaty stipulations had taken place. The draft suggested by the British demands cancelation at once of the order organizing the corps and it contains additional particulars which the Chinese are not likely to yield or the Legation to accede to. Is the Legation willing that I immediately protest jointly or alone against the functioning of any Cantonese-sanctioned examining corps likely to function in defiance of rights embodied in treaties?”
I repeat in this regard my communication to Canton, October 29th, 11 a.m.: [End paraphrase.]
“My October 28, 5 p.m.75 Pending receipt of instructions from the Department you may join with your colleagues concerned in any joint protest they may desire to make to the Cantonese authorities against the visit and search regulations.”
2. Following telegram, dated October 29, sent by Commissioner of Customs at Canton to Inspectorate General heritem:
“Your telegram of 26th October. Impracticable gain time as instructed because boarding of shipping already begun. Superintendent denied that he has any control over inspection companies and states that preventative bureau comes under Finance but not under [Page 894] Shuiwuchu.76 Consular body likely to do nothing some days owing to absence American consul general. I have now informed Government, informally, that if present proposal persisted in I am issuing following notification to the public: Agents and masters of all merchant vessels, Chinese or foreign, arriving at or leaving port of Canton are given notice that information regarding ship or cargo and facilities for examination of cargo can be extended only to the properly authorized officials of Chinese Maritime Customs. Any person making such inquiry on board vessels, Chinese or foreign, is to be directed to the Commissioner of Customs.”